Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-12-16
AN EXPERT sreNoeRspAER.
A Man Who Can Write One fhiue end
Speak Another simultaneously.

A Man Who Can Write One fhiue end
Speak Another simultaneously.
"How hong have you lived here;''
The lawyer was taking the deposition
Of n witness in his Office in the Mills
building. The pencil Of the stenographer
was moving rapidly over his paper, leav.
ing behind it string Of pothooks and
other absurd symbols Of speech.
You say that you have known the de-
fendant for the past ten years. Now, l
want to ask YOU whether ut any time
during that period you ever noticed any
symptom Of insanity in his behavior
continued the lawyer.
At the instant the lawyer began this
query the stenographer turned to the re
porter. who was seated by his side ut the
table. and. without stopping his writing
for a second. whispered: wait q mo-
ment and I'll be through. This won't {
Last much longer"
The reporter looked unxiOusly at the
notes, expecting to geo the pencil stop its
travels, or at least at the end Of the ques-
phrases incorrectly transcribed. But it
made no such breai. When the lawyer
ended his inquiry tl,e pencil stopped.
Now. SIR" continued tie lawyer.
'.you may tell me whether you were well
enough acquainted with the defendant to
know whether he showed any weakness
of mind or not"
Before the stenographer had completed
the second line Of his report he again
whispered TO the reporter not to he in a
hurry. and. rs before, concluded his work
without particle Of apparent Interrupt
ton. This was the last question. and
after the papers wsre gatliersl together
and the witness had left the office. the
reporter asked the stenographer whether
he had written correctly all that was said
verbatim, or ha only cpitomiztd what
had been spoken
Il wrote exao ly what was said. Why
do you ask
Can you real it without difficulty:''
OF course l can. otherwise | should
not be here: but why do you ask"
81 didn't see how you could write
down what was being spoken and speak
10 me upon another subject At the same
time"
That is easy enough to do, responded
the stenographer with laugh. ..when
YOU only know how and practice long
enough. Shorthand writing is very much
like playing the piano or repeating some
thing from memory. 1t is mechanical.
| !ound years ago when was reporting
in n western court. that it was extremely
useful TO be able to hear and think If
other things transpiring in the court room
than the evidence itself. then began
practIcinS 81 that could train myself to
do two separate things at the same time.
| wonld mentally make note Of every.
thing occurring around me and keep on
with Inv writing. At first would make
4 m.,take or two. but gradually got 80
that could hear everything that was
said and understand it too, nothwith-
the fact that my pencil was
moving all the time"
Il should think that when you began
to speak it would have thrown you Oft
your track
1T did ut first l learned that by
to memory some poem and
repeating it while was reporting. until
al last could carry ON conversation on
almost any subject and write from dc
tation upon one entirely different. It's
A very useful accomplishment, but
wouldn't advise you to learn Nunless
sou intend to become q professional
and l wouldn't advise that
unless you have nothing better to do than
10 treak stones in the streets. New
York Mail and Express.